Method for producing glass articles with selectively deposited overlay

Abstract

A method of providing a decorative metal pattern on an electrically non-conductive substrate, such as a glass or plastic substrate, which includes applying a mixture of a heat fusible material, such as glass or plastic, with a metal having a particle size less than about 500 mesh constituting at least 50% of the mixture, to the substrate in the desired pattern, heating the so-applied mixture until the heat fusible material fuses and bonds to the substrate, cleaning the substrate with the pattern thereon, and electroplating the pattern with the desired finish metal. In one method in which the mixture includes glass, a negative resist is adhesively secured to the substrate and the mixture is applied. The resist disintegrates upon heating. In another method, used when the substrate is plastic, a mixture of plastic and metal in paste form is applied to the substrate by silk screening or pad printing to form the pattern. In both cases, the pattern is bonded to the substrate by intermolecular bonding and has sufficient conductivity for electroplating without intermediate processing. Also, articles produced by such methods.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of applying a decorative overlay pattern onto a selected surface area of a nonconductive substrate, comprising the steps of: (A) applying a masking resist to the surface area wherein the resist defines a negative of the pattern by leaving bare substrate within the pattern;   (B) applying a frit solution comprising a heat fusible material, metal particles and a carrier onto the resist and the bare substrate, the resist remaining adhered to the substrate during application of the solution, the solution forming a conductive layer upon heating at a preselected temperature;   (C) heating the substrate, resist and solution at the preselected temperature to form the conductive layer and to form, within the pattern, a molecular bond between the substrate and the conductive layer, the conductive layer being continuously conductive throughout the pattern, the resist detaching from the substrate during the step of heating; and   (D) electroplating a first finish metal onto the continuously conductive layer bonded with the substrate, wherein the first finish metal extends continuously throughout the pattern.   
     
     
       2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of electroplating comprises connecting a single electrical connection to the conductive layer. 
     
     
       3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the resist detaches through oxidation. 
     
     
       4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the resist turns to ash for subsequent washing from the substrate. 
     
     
       5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the resist comprises thermoplastic. 
     
     
       6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying a masking resist comprises utilizing an adhesive. 
     
     
       7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying a masking resist comprises applying the adhesive by a release sheet. 
     
     
       8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is non-planar. 
     
     
       9. A method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of die cutting the resist onto the substrate. 
     
     
       10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising applying a frit solution comprising ground metal, ground glass, and a carrier, such that the layer is conductive after the step of heating. 
     
     
       11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising utilizing borosilicate glass as the ground glass. 
     
     
       12. A method according to claim 10, further comprising utilizing pine oil as the carrier. 
     
     
       13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying the frit solution comprises spraying the solution. 
     
     
       14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying the frit solution comprises applying a frit solution comprising about 4.5% by volume borosilicate glass, 70% by volume silver, and remainder pine oil onto the substrate. 
     
     
       15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying the frit solution comprises applying solution comprising about 8% by volume borosilicate glass, 68% by volume silver, and remainder pine oil onto the substrate. 
     
     
       16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying the frit solution comprises utilizing a solution comprising silver and borosilicate particles. 
     
     
       17. A method according to claim 16, comprising utilizing silver particles in the range from 300 to 400 mesh. 
     
     
       18. A method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of diluting the frit solution by adding up to 50% by weight of a mixture of turpentine and mineral spirits. 
     
     
       19. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of electroplating a first finish metal comprises electroplating a first finish metal with a thickness of about 0.003 inch onto the conductive layer. 
     
     
       20. A method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of polishing the first finish metal. 
     
     
       21. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of electroplating a first finish metal comprises utilizing a first finish metal comprising at least about 50% by volume of silver. 
     
     
       22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the step of electroplating a first finish metal comprises utilizing a finish metal comprising less than 95% by volume of silver. 
     
     
       23. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of heating comprises heating to at least about 1000 degrees F. 
     
     
       24. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of heating comprises heating to 1060 degrees F. 
     
     
       25. A method according to claim 1, further comprising electroplating a second finish metal onto the first finish layer, the second finish metal being selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper and nickel. 
     
     
       26. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying the resist comprises applying the resist to define the pattern over at least 50% of the surface area. 
     
     
       27. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying the frit solution comprises applying the solution through silk-screening. 
     
     
       28. A method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises glass.